Czech Ambassador to the U.S. Visits La Grange

Ambassador Miloslav Stašek poses for a group photo with local dignitaries and TCHCC officials in front of TCHCC’s newly-renamed Retta Slavic Chandler Complex. Pictured are (back, from left) TCHCC Staffer Cathleen Noska, TCHCC Board Member Vera Whering, TCHCC Staffer Kathleen Kramr, TCHCC Historian Carolyn Heinsohn, Czech Embassy Head of Economic and Trade Section Jan Hladik, Fayette County Judge-Elect Josh Homan, Kenner Bartos, TCHCC Marketing and Business Development Manager Jennifer Lane, (front) Honorary Consul of the Czech Republic Brian Vanicek, La Grange Mayor Jan Dockery, Ambassador Stašek, TCHCC Board President John Bartos, TCHCC Board Member Walter Stoever and TCHCC Manager Mark Hermes. Photo by Andy Behlen TCHCC Board President John Bartos (right) leads Ambassador Stašek (left) on a tour of the Czech Village in La Grange.

Amidst Trip to Texas to Visit Czech World Cup Soccer Team, Stašek Stops Here Monday

Czech Ambassador to the United States Miloslav Stašek visited La Grange on Monday, June 8. He arrived in Texas last week to visit the Czech World Cup soccer team. He stopped at the Texas Czech Heritage and Cultural Center (TCHCC) in La Grange on Monday while traveling to Houston for a meeting.

Stašek will leave his post at the Embassy in Washington, D.C. next month and return to Czechia. The Ambassador told officials with the TCHCC that he wanted to visit La Grange one last time before heading home. Stašek was instrumental in organizing Czech President Petr Pavel’s visit to La Grange in 2024. Since then, he and his staff have maintained close ties with TCHCC. Stašek will be succeeded by Jakub Kulhánek, the current Czech Ambassador to the United Nations.

“I already briefed him that this is very important to come and to continue what we started with La Grange,” Stašek said.

Stašek said his country continues to develop strong business ties to Texas, especially in the Austin area. Accordingly, he said the Czech Ministry of Foreign Affairs wants to establish a consular office in Austin.

“In discussion with our new Foreign Minister, he promised me that it will be one of the top three priorities to open the office in Austin,” he said.

Among other initiatives by his government, Stašek said the Foreign Ministry is working to bring more Czech students to Texas and Texas students to Czechia through exchange programs. In addition, the Czech government is in negotiations with the NBA to bring the San Antonio Spurs to Prauge or Brno for a game during the 2028-29 season.

One of Stašek’s aides, Jan Hladik, said the Czech Embassy remains especially focused on business investment between Czechia and Texas.

“We are witnessing a large number of investment decisions in the defense industry, aerospace, and so on,” Hladik said.

Hladik mentioned a Czech tech company that currently has a facility elsewhere in the United States. He said this company wants to be closer to partners like Lockheed Martin, which has an aeronautics division based in Fort Worth.

“They are considering establishing the branch and then facility in Texas,” Hladik said.

Stašek said two Czech television crews are currently in Texas covering the World Cup. He said one of the crews focuses on the Czech team, but the other has been covering different aspects of Texas culture. Stašek said he would contact the television crew and recommend they visit La Grange and Fayette County due to the area’s strong Czech heritage.

TCHCC President John Bartos led Stašek on a tour of the facility including the museum, library, and the new blacksmith shop in the Czech Village. Stašek was especially interested in TCHCC’s plans to build a museum for “kroj” – the traditional Czech attire that features colorful motifs. The various regions of the Czech lands each produced unique types of kroj. Czech immigrants to Texas brought their kroj-making traditions with them.

Stašek said that as older generations of citizens in his country pass away, their children sometimes inquire about donating kroj to the Czech Cultural Ministry.

“They are offering us (kroj) from the family,” Stašek said. “If we know that you will be collecting them, we would like to donate some kroj. We will take it and we will bring it to you. I think we already have some collection of kroj and we didn’t know what to do with it.”

“We would like that very much,” Bartos said.

Bartos said TCHCC may not have kroj from every region with settlers to Texas, and the pieces from Czechia would greatly complement the collection.

Before Stašek and his delegation departed, he exchanged gifts with the officials from TCHCC. Bartos presented Stašek and Hladik each with a bottle of local bourbon from Kooper’s Whiskey in Ledbetter. Stašek presented the TCHCC with some fine pieces of Czech glassware.